Eight civilians killed in al-Shabaab’s latest attack on Mogadishu

Somalian security forces successfully ended the hours-long siege of a key hotel in the country’s capital Mogadishu on Monday (November 28th). The latest attack by al Shabaab militants claimed eight lives as per officials.

The Villa Rose Hotel, which is located near the nation’s Presidential residence and is frequented by government officials came under siege by al-Shabaab militants on Sunday night.

21 hours after the attack started, a spokesperson for the Somali national police Sadik Dudishe told the press that “the clearance operation in the Villa Rose Hotel has ended.”

As quoted by AFP Dudishe also said that the Jihadists have “killed eight civilians who stayed in the hotel,” however he added that the “security forces succeeded in rescuing about 60 civilians” and that no one among the rescued civilians was wounded.

He added that one member of the security forces also died during the operation.

As per Reuters, the militants stormed the hotel, shooting and setting off explosives. In a statement released soon after the attack started the militants said that they were targeting the nearby presidential palace.

The attack has raised questions about how the militants were able to evade numerous checkpoints in the area and take over a hotel located so close to the President’s residence.

Over the last three months, Somalian government forces with the aid of clan militias and at times by African Union troops and US air strikes have made a few battlefield gains in offences against the group.

However, Al-Shabaab which aims to topple the government and establish its own rule governed by an extreme interpretation of Islamic law continues to frequently attack Mogadishu and elsewhere.

Source: Wionews